Your First Look at the Bon Appetit Supper Club and Pop Up Cafe

Bon Appetit 2009
This year’s BA Pop Up Cafe, complete with outdoor seating

As anybody who reads this blog on a daily basis knows, I am a fat and cheap bastard. I like my lunch big, gross and inexpensive. But that doesn’t mean I can’t class it up every once in awhile. And when I eat dinner out in NYC I tend to gravitate towards the fancy spots. Basically, what I’m trying to admit is that I’m a famous chef whore. Which makes the annual Bon Appetit Pop Up Cafe for me (and those like me) one of the more exciting events in Midtown Lunch’ing. Every year, for one week we get a chance to eat some fun fast food, made by famous chefs, and it’s all under $10.

The Cafe opened at 11am this morning, and your first look at the food and space is after the jump…

Bon Appetit 2009

It’s a different space this year, and everything is more spaced out and organized.

Bon Appetit 2009

There’s also a large seating area upstairs once you pay for your food.

Bon Appetit 2009

Soup station

Bon Appetit 2009

Salad Station

Bon Appetit 2009

Free wine samples! And Stumptown Coffee available for sale (which is exciting for any coffee nerds out there.)

Bon Appetit 2009

New this year… a small “market fresh table” with fruit and veggies for sale.

Bon Appetit 2009

Nate Appleman’s Vegetarian Sandwich ($8) & Jose Andres’ Serrano Ham & Manchego sandwich ($9).

Bon Appetit 2009

Emeril Lagasse’s Roast Turkey Panini ($9)

Bon Appetit 2009

Tom Douglas’ Salmon Sandwich ($9.50)

Bon Appetit 2009

Cat Cora’s Brisket Wrap being made downstairs in the kitchen

Bon Appetit 2009

Sweets!

Bon Appetit 2009

More sweets!

Bon Appetit 2009

The deal of the century! Daniel Boulud’s signature terrine trio ($8.50). Sure, you’re spending almost 9 bucks for a few bites of food… but it’s freakin’ Daniel Boulud. And this would probably cost you three times as much at Bar Boulud! Fat man likes a lot of food for his money. Fat man also like terrines. Oh, and the best part? It’s in the salad section! That means it’s good for you.

You can easily complain (and many will) that some of the food is too expensive for the amount of food you get (and in some cases you’d be right), but it’s a great one week a year splurge- and in the end, you’re getting good food made by chefs whose food normally cost more. Click here for a complete menu and list of daily specials. The cafe is open through Friday from 11am to 3pm.

The lines can get pretty long, so the earlier you get there the better… and we’ll see how the new layout works. Feel free to post updates in the comments…

Bon Appetit Supper Club and Cafe, NW Corner of 57th and 6th Ave

27 Comments

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Ummm, where is it located?

  • OMG, that terrine trio looks crazy amazingly good.
    also all the sandwiches! i wish i was closer but i am def going to try terrine trio!

  • I just got back. I didnt buy anything though. theres separate lines for soup and sandwiches, and even though they were long they moved along pretty quick it seemed. I skipped breakfast so I was starving and the sammies were a bit too small for me today.

  • Wait a minute, did you get invited in to the kitchen for a photo? Love the soup station pic, that girl is obviously doing sum gossiping!

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    went at around 12:45. saw zach leaving with harry while i was waiting in line outside. they were out of the salmon sandwich by then, as we had to wait for anything other than the veggie sandwich (which looked pretty good). i had the brisket wrap (pretty good, the actual wrap was a little over toasted), friend had the steak salad (not enough steak, or avocado, not worth $9 but not bad either), and we split the yuzu tart (it wasn’t overly sweet but was really citrusy, which i like). am going to go at noon tomorrow for meatballs!

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    I was there from about 12:30 until 1:15 … it was a bit disorganized (ie: soup line going out the door, everyone just seemed to assume it was the line to get in) — but that had changed by the time I left. I waited in line for the Thai soup. With my expertise, I managed to order something that didn’t have for the day. I got the corn chowder — it was good. I moved over the sandwiches and picked up the salmon. That was excellent — well worth the price. I also picked up a sample of the red wine (not bad) and the pizza. The pizza was underwhelming (I didn’t like the crust and the cheese was a bit too salty for the mushrooms) — oh, and they had just run out of the pizza and were waiting on more.

    I’d go again to get the salmon (again) and perhaps the chicken tortilla soup.

    The place was packed and I ended up sitting at outside at the last table (away fro the main corner entrance door).

    If nothing else than a change of pace — and especially if you’re close — I’d recommend stopping by.

    Scott

  • i’d like more coverage on sweets please!

  • that salmon sandwich looks good… tom douglas was there to do a demo today too. the layout seems better than last year, since the wine samples is not on the second floor anymore. gotta love the wine samples, that’s all i had…

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Although there are certain benefits to working on a farm: bucolic setting, farm girls, fresh air, farm girls, blue skies, farm girls, food harvested same day, did I mention farm girls? This will be the first pop up I’ll miss, Bossman is not pleased. To console myself I just picked up some grass fed lamb which I will grind and combine with fresh rosemary, garlic and mint to form into a freeform burger and plop on a Blue Duck Bakery ciabatta…. oh and reminisce about past PUC’s. Damn you, Zach! Damn you to Chipotle hell!

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    I had the Nate Appleman tuna/bread salad. Mind you I’m not the biggest tuna fan in the world – but the salad must have weighed 2 lbs for only 8 bucks!! I figured they made a mistake and that by tomorrow it would be half the size – so I snatched it. That was a damn good salad – maybe a tuna convert here (or an Appleman fan). Get there at noon – no lines…

  • 57th btwn 7th and broadway and its only this week from 11-3

  • Just got the brisket wrap. Freekin’ UNBELIEVABLE!

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Tuesday – 12:10 there was an estimated 15 minute line around the corner just to get in the door (I went to Carnegie John’s instead…)
    Tomorrow I’ll be there at 11:45

  • Went there at 11:30am today, place was empty. tried two glasse of wine.. The turkey and ham sandwiches were awesome. Tuna salad was boring, except the croutons. Crab louie was delicious too. And the meatballs werent that exciting.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    got there at 12:05pm and there was a line of about 10 ppl. then they didn’t let anyone in for 20+ minutes, so the line stretched halfway down the block. not sure what the hold up was…but some people just went inside and didnt wait at all. i’m not cool enough to know someone who’ll let me bypass the line (semi-bitter).

    got the meatballs, which are a little dry but i really like the sauce and peaches that it comes with and they gave me 8 meatballs which is pretty substantial. also got the toffee which is really good. it has a nice crunch and that saltiness from the sea salt. definitely a good snack! also saw alex stupak after his demo and jose andres waiting to start.

    tomorrow i’m getting either the JLT or the salmon sandwich and baked’s cloud cookie. hopefully the wait won’t be as long…

  • Had the JLT yesterday and it was delish. Salmon sandwich today was pretty good too. Too bad I didn’t get to try the corn soup. I had it while on line but the credit card machines broke down today and we were on line for over 20 minutes. Soup was lukewarm but then so I left with the cashier. We weren’t told we could pay by cash until 15 minutes into waiting so we just waited and waited, and watched some people start to eat, or finish their food. One man in a nice suit ate his meatballs while on line – i only realized he ate it when he held up the plate to drink the sauce, and then REMOVE the plate from his tray to place by the window so he didn’t have to pay for it. Another man ate his muffin (?) and his sandwich and left the tray by the window. I hope those on the line outside know why they were waiting – it wasn’t because it was crowded. It was because of the chaos they couldn’t control.

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    They had the same chaos last year with checking-out. Looks like they have more cashiers this year, so thought they’d figured it all out. Guess not – madness, what a shame…
    Note to Bon Ap – 1-go down the street to Morton Williams grocery 2 -hire their cashiers 3- make everyone happy

  • User has not uploaded an avatar

    Ah, makes sense now. I was part of the first group let in after that long 20 minute wait and when i went to pay (around 12:35pm), the cashiers seemed all frazzled and slow. Also, I just ate half of the toffee (so much for saving it for a snack) and its SO MUCH SUGAR (but really, what did i expect)?

  • Wow what a difference 15 mins can make! I was there 11:45a and I was in and out in couple mins. I was the only one at the credit card line also.

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